


Puppy Dog Eyes

by n00dl3Gal



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dogs, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, How Do I Tag, I mean there kinda is some, M/M, Shance Secret Santa 2017, Shance secret santa, idk - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2019-02-17 18:23:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13082667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/n00dl3Gal/pseuds/n00dl3Gal
Summary: They adopt a dog. That's literally it.(Well OK, there's more than that, but Shiro wishes there wasn't.)





	Puppy Dog Eyes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [strawberrylovely](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=strawberrylovely).



> Hi StrawberryLovely! I'm your Shance Secret Santa, and here's your gift! I decided to take your request for "fluff" a bit more literally than most, I hope you enjoy! And happy holidays.

Shiro liked animals well enough. There were undeniable therapeutic benefits to owning a pet, many species were adorable, and they didn’t ask invasive questions like “how’d you get that scar on your nose?” or “why is your arm metal?” He’d probably have gotten a pet sooner if he wasn’t busy at the Garrison all the time. 

Lance, on the other hand, adored creatures of all kinds. He constantly talked about the golden lab his family had when he grew up. He cooed and stopped to pet every dog they passed on the street. The “subtle” hints he was dropping about visiting the local shelter were getting more passive-aggressive by the day. 

“You’re gone all day, Shiro, and I work from home, and I get lonely,” Lance moped, laying his head in Shiro’s lap. His lower lip shook, and the words “puppy dog eyes” were never more apropos. 

Which is why he found himself being dragged along by his boyfriend through the local shelter, browsing the dogs up for adoption. 

Personally, Shiro would’ve gone for a cat- much less maintenance. Sadly, Lance had skipped the felines entirely, opting to scour the selection of canines. “Aww, look at this one! Who’s a good boy?” Lance laughed as a large Samoyed lumbered over and licked his chin. “Who’s a good, fluffy boy?” 

Shiro smiled and knelt to let the dog sniff his flesh hand. A pink tongue snuck out and lapped at his knuckles, earning a chuckle. “He’s friendly, I’ll give him that. But a dog this size wouldn’t do too well in an apartment,” he said. “You’d need a nice, big yard to run around in, wouldn’t you?” Shiro scratched the dog’s neck. 

Lance sighed. “Yeah, you’re right… I’m sorry, buddy. Maybe some other ti- SHIRO, LOOK!” He jumped up and pointed to another cage. Inside was a small mix breed with black and tan fur and bright blue eyes. But what struck Shiro was the left back paw- or lack thereof. The pup was missing a limb, just like him. 

“Her name is Molly, she’s a one-and-a-half-year-old Corgi-Beagle mix,” Lance read from the placard by her cage. “Apparently, she lost her limb in some sort of accident.” 

“Hmm, something I can sympathize with,” Shiro said to himself. 

A worker came over and clapped her hands when she noticed the mutual interest between Molly and Lance. “She’s a feisty one,” she warned, unlocking the cage to let Lance in. “Either she adores you or tolerates you, no in between. But it seems you don’t have to worry about that, do you?” Molly was already snuggling up to Lance, burrowing in his lap. “Now, her breed is pretty active, and would need both physical and mental stimulation. That said, she would be just fine in an apartment.” 

“Shiro, pleaseeeeeeee? I promise to take her on walks, and feed her, and make sure she doesn’t poop in the house!!” Lance pleaded. 

Shiro scratched the back of his neck and grimaced. “Don’t beg like a little kid, Lance,” he muttered, “it’s awkward.” Lance’s look of want and affection didn’t waver, though. “Well… let me see how she reacts to me, first.” He bent and stuck his hands out towards Molly. “I’m not going to hurt you,” he whispered. “I just want you to get to know me.” 

Hesitantly, Molly left Lance’s lap and padded over to Shiro. She sniffed his fingers, human and metal, and took a nibble of the prosthetic. She regarded him with a gaze that Shiro could only describe as “distaste.” 

“Looks like she likes you, too!” Lance chirped gleefully.

Inwardly, Shiro groaned. This wasn’t going to end well for him, was it.

. . .

He was right. It didn’t go well for him. 

True to the volunteer’s words, Molly was extremely affectionate towards Lance and downright distrustful of Shiro, constantly shielding him from the former. It would be laughable, having such a tiny and crippled dog act as a guard, if it wasn’t for the fact Shiro couldn’t spend time with his boyfriend. 

“Molly, please move.” 

Lance shrugged. “Good luck, babe. She’s been stuck to me all day.” 

Shiro bent down and looked Molly straight in the eyes. “Molly, I’ve asked you nicely. I’ll do it again, but then I will move you by force. Please move,” he said sharply. 

Molly stood, took one step to the left, and sat back down. Shiro grabbed at his hair in frustration and Lance burst out into laughter. “Oh- oh my God, she has a sense of humor, I love her,” he sputtered between chuckles. 

“Yeah, a real comedian. Molly, c’mon, I’ve had a long day and I just wanna snuggle with Lance.” She blinked a few times before resting her head on Lance’s knee, baring one tooth towards Shiro. 

They did eventually get her to move- using a bribe of peanut butter, but the glare Molly gave Shiro every time he reached over to hug or kiss Lance was burned into his mind by the time he fell asleep. 

. . .

She kept giving him that glare. Whenever he kissed Lance on the forehead, or rubbed his back, or even looked in his general direction. Molly would let out a low growl and plop herself on Lance’s feet, trapping him. Lance found it horribly endearing, for some reason. Was he really that oblivious? 

“She’s just protective of her papa, aren’t you, baby girl?” he said, rubbing her stomach. “Protects her papa just like her daddy protects him!”

“Lance, I’m fairly certain Molly would be mortified to have me as a father,” Shiro said, pinching his nose and exhaling. 

Lance snorted. “Yeah, anybody would, babe. You’re not even a real father yet and you still make all the shitty dad jokes.” 

“I- but- what does that- you love my jokes!” he protested, face flushing crimson. Lance snickered and pressed his lips to Shiro’s cheek. “Just- ugh, get going before you miss your appointment. Good luck, sweetheart.” 

Lance grabbed his keys from the armchair and beamed back at him. “Alright, you two get along while I’m gone, I’ll be back in a couple of hours!” The sound of the door shutting echoed across the apartment.

Shiro sighed and went to grab the jacket laying across the couch. “He forgot his coat again… one of these days, it’s gonna cost that man.” But before he could take it, Molly jumped up and burrowed herself in the fabric. “Wa- Molly, you’re not allowed on the furniture without permission! Get down right now!” 

She didn’t budge, instead rolling her gums up to reveal her canines. Shiro repressed a gulp. “Molly. I need to hang up Lance’s coat. Please get off the couch,” he tried, keeping his voice calm and level. No movement. Shiro snatched the arm dangling off the side and tugged. “If you don’t move, I will pull you down with the coat and it will hurt. You have to the count of three. One.” 

She lifted her leg and started grooming herself. Shiro dug his heels into the rug.

“Two.” 

Molly yawned. 

“Two and a half- and if this jacket gets ruined, Lance is going to be so pissed at you- three!” Just as the word left his mouth, Molly rolled across the couch, leaving the leather coat to be yanked by Shiro’s full momentum. He tumbled backwards, banging his head against the floor. He groaned, reaching his prosthetic arm to his head. “Ow…” 

Molly limped over and eyed him carefully before barking twice. If Shiro didn’t know any better, he’d swear she was laughing at him. 

. . .

Forgetting his coat, oddly enough, did have consequences for Lance. 

“I’m sorry, Shiro,” Lance coughed, burrowing deeper into the blankets. Shiro sighed. “I’ll remember my jacket next time, I promise.” 

“You’ve said that at least a dozen times so far, hun,” Shiro reprimanded him, grabbing Lance’s glass to refill it. “It would be nice if you would actually stick to your words.” 

Lance sneezed before shrugging. “Maybe getting sick will make me remember?” 

“I hope so, Lance.” 

Shiro walked briskly to the kitchen and filled the cup with water, carefully adding three ice cubes (just the way Lance liked it). By the time he’s returned, Molly had curled up next to Lance. Shiro exhaled through his nose as he sets the glass back down. “Molly, please move. I need to take Lance’s temperature to see if it’s gone down.” 

She didn’t, of course. Shiro wasn’t sure why he even bothered. “Lance-” 

“Molly, you gotta move, this is important,” Lance said, nudging her lightly with his arm. She growled and bared her teeth. “Molly!” he chastised. There was no response from the dog. “Why are you so mean to Shiro?  He’s just as much your owner as I am!”

“I’m not so sure that’s true, sweetheart, but I appreciate the sentiment.” Shiro knelt beside the bed and reached for Lance’s hand to squeeze it. Their fingertips just managed to touch when Molly snapped and tried to dig into the flesh. Fortunately, with reflexes honed from life in the military, Shiro withdrew just before blood was drawn. “ALRIGHT, THAT’S IT!” He stood up, back straight, towering over the tiny dog. “Molly, I understand that you are protective of Lance. But you have to understand that so am I. We love each other dearly, so when you try to attack me for being near him, you’re hurting both of us. Is that what you want?”

Lance gasped a tiny bit, eyes shining. “Babe…” 

Shiro knew that the words likely meant little to Molly, if she could even comprehend them, but it was no matter. He needed to get this out in the open. “Molly, we have a lot in common. We were both injured dramatically, which resulted in lost limbs. We both love lounging on the couch on Sunday morning. There’s a shared fondness for bacon, and sunny days, and walks in the park. But most of all, we have our love for Lance. So please, at least try to get along with me. For his sake,” he finished, voice dropping. 

For a solid minute, the apartment was quiet. Only Lance’s coughs punctuated the silence. And then, Molly stood, waddled over to Shiro, and licked his hand.

“M-Molly?” Lance croaked, struggling to sit up. Molly glanced back at him before pawing at Shiro. “I… I think she wants you to pet her, babe.” 

Gingerly, Shiro reached out his flesh hand and stroked the fur on Molly’s head. She let out a low mumble of contentment, wagging her tail all the while. “Was that all it took?” Shiro asked, mostly to himself. “Me losing my temper?”

“I think it was you declaring your love for me,” Lance joked, rolling over in bed to join them. “C’mon, I wanna snuggle the two people who love me most in the world!” 

“Lance- Lance, you’re still sick- I’m  _ not going to kiss you while you have a runny nose-”  _ Shiro’s protest were lost in a whirlwind of joyful barks and giggles.

. . .

Three months later, and it was Lance’s turn to complain. 

“But  _ babe,  _ I’m the one who saw her first! I should be the one to attach her prosthetic!” he whined, lower lip quivering. 

Molly barked and Shiro nodded sagely. “We came to an agreement, Lance,” he said sternly. “It’s only right that I, the one without an arm, would be the one to attach it. After all, you did say that’s why we matched.” 

“Yeah, but that was back when she  _ hated  _ you-” 

Shiro and the vet sealed the clasp as Lance spoke, and Molly bounced off the table to run in circles properly for the first time. Lance tried to protest, but Shiro ignored it and focused on their dog, finally enjoying life with all four limbs. Maybe Lance did have a point, not that Shiro would ever admit it. 

But he could withstand puppy dog eyes a lot better now. 

**Author's Note:**

> (real talk though I'm done writing for the VLD fandom for a while)


End file.
